World Circular Economy Forum 2026 Opens at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar - First WCEF in South Asia

14 September 2026National

The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 opened on 15 September at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat - the first WCEF held in South Asia. The main forum runs 15-16 September, with Accelerator Sessions on 17-18 September, under the theme "Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity". It was jointly inaugurated by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, drawing over 2,000 stakeholders from more than 65 countries across four plenary and 16 thematic sessions, plus an expo of over 125 exhibitors. India's hosting extends the circular-economy push already visible in Mission LiFE and the EPR rules notified by MoEFCC.

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WCEF was launched in 2017 by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, with the first edition held in Helsinki | Gujarat's capital is Gandhinagar; Mahatma Mandir is its flagship convention centre | The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is India's nodal ministry for circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility rules

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